Publications Repository - Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf

By superimposing a magnetic field during electrodeposition of metals, alloys or composite coatings, the surface structure and the deposition rates could be changed. We used conical shaped copper electrodes coated with a thin layer of gold to study the effects of the magnetic field on mass transport during electrodeposition. The setup involves a metallic cone working as cathode, a platinum wire above as counterelectrode and a magnet below the cone.
In this case buoyancy force dominates the mass transport near the tip because the current density is high and the magnetic field is weak. On the other hand, in the region away from the tip and near the cone surface, the electric field is normal to the surface and has a component perpendicular to the magnetic field, where the Lorentz force dominates. In this work we measure in detail the convection of the electrolyte near the electrode during the electrodeposition process by particle tracking which is useful to understand how the deposition rate varies along the surface of the cone.